Vittles (food & drink

It’s a shore thing: Top quality food

By Karen Bate

newsdesk@westdorsetmag.co.uk

When scathing food critic the late AA Gill poured four vinegary stars of five over a Burton Bradstock beach café in a Sunday Times Magazine review in 2005 – the café quite literally became a destination overnight. Out-of-town foodies travelled for miles to reach The Hive Beach Café to be swallowed whole by huge skies and rolling ocean while dining on fish soup, described by the famed critic as ‘not remotely grand, but tasting nicely of its constituent parts’ or the ‘particularly good’ ginger and spice cake. And while this shoreline gem had always hummed with hungry locals, dog walkers and visitors, this little visit from Mr Gill while he was staying with his mate Billy Bragg up the hill, propelled the café into something gastronomical. Steve Attrill and his GP wife Debbie took ownership of The Hive in 1991, and along with their daughters, Maisy and Emily, submerged themselves serving the finest seafood, embracing sustainability and taking care of their team of four. As their reputation flourished, food awards followed and the team swelled. Today Steve employs 175 people, mostly locals. The premises have grown too. Now they own their own micro-bakery to cater for their daily artisan bread. They have also developed The Top Marquee and taken ownership of The Club House in West Bexington and The Watch House Café in West Bay, which sits just yards away from the golden cliffs made famous by ITV’s Broadchurch. This isn’t showboating but a real desire to meet the tidal wave of demand. The companies who supply The Hive Beach Café company feel the tides too. Steve said: “It’s always been our mission to use locally sourced, sustainable ingredients and support local suppliers wherever possible, which is some task when you have a couple of hundred covers at lunchtime. We serve seafood and shellfish and support sustainable fishing methods.” West Bay fisherman supply the fish, organic vegetables arrive from neighbouring Tamarisk Farm, cheese arrives from the West Country Farmhouse Cheesemaker at nearby Ford Farm and Steve buys vodka from Black Cow Vodka and raids the larders of Chesil Smokery and Lyme Bay Winery. The café nestles on the sea shore amid the cliffs, a hugely popular part of the Jurassic coast, particularly with dog walkers. Steve caters for the dogs too –giving them their own menu with special biscuits, chewy bones and dogfriendly ice-cream. “It can be stressful when

THE PLACE TO BE: The Hive Beach Cafe at Burton Bradstock and, below, from left, mixologist and manager Fefe Kovacs and head chef Will Hickton, the Fireball, the club's most popular cocktail and, below, serving up delicious locally-sourced seafood

and outstanding views at Hive Beach

BEAUTY SPOT: The Top Marquee, Lou with a large lobster, a drone’s-eye view of the Hive Beach Cafe and, right, one of the eaterie’s crab sandwiches

you want to eat and your dog is being a pain,” said Maisy. I for one can relate – my own one-year-old pup was at home the day I visited the cafe, so great is my shame when we are eating out. Maisy added: “Giving the dogs wonderful things to occupy them under the table means their owners can relish their food. It makes for a really happy atmosphere.” The Club House is the recent, more exclusive addition. It has already secured an AA Rosette for culinary excellence, is listed in the Michelin Guide and the prestigious Trencherman’s Guide. Built in 1932, the Blue Anchor Café was created as part of a holiday village with beach huts and an Olympic-sized outdoor swimming pool. The outbreak of the Second World War stopped the plans for the patch to become the holiday village it hoped to be, and the Blue Anchor Café served tea and cake for years. Steve said: “We wanted to give existing and new customers a different experience, somewhere really special to enjoy the finest locally sourced food and drink in this wonderful coastal setting.” And with a nod to its provenance, diners can expect a 1930s plush but relaxed interior with a ‘members’ club’ feel. A cocktail has been named after inventor and scientist Sir Barnes Wallis, who tested his Bouncing Bomb on Chesil Beach. The Club House has its very own helipad, where people can book to land in front of the restaurant. You can even book your own flight from The Club House to take you over the coastline, taking in the natural, rugged beauty of the glorious coastline with a bottle of house champagne on touchdown. But what is inspirational is their commitment to their staff. Masiy said: “We are a family business and many of our staff are the sons and daughters of former staff. “We like to develop people. For example Lou took a job as a waitress, but she showed a real aptitude for DIY, which she loves. “We have made her the caretaker so she fixes things and creates bits and pieces in our café. One young school leaver who started serving tables has a real talent for art, and now we sell his paintings.” This is what the Attrills do. They listen. They embrace success in others and offer opportunities, developing the strengths of others. If you haven’t been to eat at any one of these wonderful venues, I suggest you do, and if you fancy a job, I will bet my bottom dollar there will be one available. n hivebeachcafe.co.uk

Raising a glass or two to the joys of

By FRAN BRIDGEWATER

Nestled in amongst the sheep-laden hillsides of Dorset’s Jurassic Coast, lies a small but beautifully formed English country vineyard. The village of Litton Cheney is home to the whispering, single estate wines of Bride Valley Vineyard – the brainchild of the late and very dearly loved wine legend Steven Spurrier. In the late 1980s, Steven had the foresight to recognise that much of our Dorset coastline – in fact extending all the way to the Cotswolds – naturally sits on precisely the same terroir as the Champagne region, just to the east of Paris. It is known by the experts as The Kimmeridgian Ridge. He realised the unique combination of clean and chalky terroir, the exceptional microclimate and the vineyard’s fine, south-facing slopes would provide the ideal conditions for cultivating the classic Champagne varieties Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Pinot Meunier. ‘Meunier’ in French means ‘miller’ and the leaves of the vine bear a whitish coating at peak growing season, almost as if they have been dusted with flour. After meticulous preliminary investigations, numerous soil-sample analyses and following indepth consultations with renowned oenologist friends and associates in the trade, Steven chose the optimal sites across his wife Bella’s 200-acre sheep farm and ordered specially selected grafted vine clones from the Bourgogne, to capture the mineral-rich elegance of some of the world’s finest Burgundies. Planting on the super steep inclines proved beyond challenging, with much of the terrain being inaccessible by tractor, so planting on the accessible slopes was by machine for pinpoint accuracy. The couple’s steely determination to produce their very own estate wines prevailed and by 2011 a first harvest was gathered, entirely by hand. The result was the 2014 release of three fine sparkling wines, made in the traditional Champagne method: a classic Blanc de Blancs, a Brut Reserve and Rosé Bella for summertime drinking, in Bella’s honour. The summer of 2018 saw the vineyard achieve the optimal balance of ripeness and acidity thanks to perfect weather, and the estate yielded a record harvest, resulting in production of almost 60,000 bottles. They then made their first still wines: Dorset Chardonnay and Dorset Pinot Noir, released in 2019 to great

CHEERS ALL ROUND: The full range of Bride Valley wines and, right, Bella and Steven Spurrier and dog Maud take an evening stroll in the vineyard. Inset below: Bride Valley Cremant NV

From grapevines to celandines

fine wines of Bride Valley Vineyard

acclaim. Steven even released England’s first and only home-produced Crémant, with its unique Protected Designation of Origin status – showing the wine comes from a specific area and is made in a certain style. Vineyard manager Graham Fisher says Dorset Crémant was a ‘wine of necessity’ after a cool ripening year in 2015, which meant that the base wine resulted in being ‘somewhat racy’. The conditions resulted in the signature, high acidity profile of other Crémants from France and Alsace). Comprising predominantly Chardonnay (59%) to add acidity, structure and freshness, this is a white sparkling also made from the black grapes in the ‘traditional Champagne trilogy’ featuring the red berry characteristics of Pinot Meunier (27%) - think wild strawberries and possibly rosehip and cranberry - and the delicacy of Pinot Noir (14%) which serve to contribute body, mouthfeel and allimportant texture to this supremely elegant wine. Traditionally, Crémants are bone dry, with vibrant acidity, light to mediumbodied with different aromas.

Bride Valley Crémant has a bright, attractive pale lemon colour with a persistent fine mousse.

It won silver in the

Wines of Great

Britain Awards 2021 and is sold by “all good wine merchants worth their salt,” as Steven used to say. Steven died last spring, just shy of his 80th birthday, leaving behind as an enduring legacy. Today, the tasting room is housed within a charmingly converted stable block at Steven and Bella’s home in Litton Cheney – just off the A35 between Dorchester and Bridport – set against the backdrop of enchanting, landscaped gardens, complete with an art gallery featuring Steven’s personal collection of pictures, artefacts and array of awards from half a century’s career. Steven’s memoirs, A Life in Wine and the wines themselves are available at bridevalleyvineyard. com The Cellar Door is open from 11am to 2pm on Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays, offering regular tours and tastings from Easter to harvest.

n Go to bridevalley vineyard.com/visit.

Loders Arms

‘Great village pub’ ‘A real gem in a picture perfect village’ ‘Excellent Sunday roast’ l Beautiful garden & stunning views l Dog-friendly l Great food using local suppliers l Function room available

Quiz night first Wednesday of the month

Loders Arms, Loders, Bridport, DT6 3SA. 01308 422431 lodersarmsdorset.co.uk l info@lodersarmsdorset.co.uk

Karen Broad lives in Burton Bradstock, with her husband and two mad dogs. She ran The Mousetrap in Dorchester, has lived in France and loves discovering new food producers.

The editor’s mum lives in Affpuddle with husband Bob and three freezers full of baking.

The importance of colours in our food is crucial. Our brain uses colour to help us choose what our body requires in our diet. Our brains enjoy the food before consumption! An interesting fact – in embryos, the first part of the neocortext to develop, is the part which will represent the mouth and tongue. Think of the importance in the ‘presentation’ of a meal, what would the brain tell you if everything was… brown! Grim thought. So, as I ventured out, the chilly spring rain dropped like silver nails, the clouds grey and taut, my mind craved ‘colour’... My destination? Washingpool Farm. Nestled behind neat, creosoted picket fences, lies the well-established Washingpool Farm Shop. Its open vista with far reaching views and ample car parking, makes shopping not only easy, but pleasurable.

Washingpool’s ethos is to sell and promote quality local produce. Washingpool began in the 70s with shops in Bridport and in 2000, the current site was developed. Today it is run by three generations, and it has gone from strength to strength, not only does it have the farm shop and restaurant, but there is a caravan site, a fishing lake, two holiday cottages plus the working farm. Enterprising indeed. Chatting to Bryony, she is passionate about the family business, and the term ‘family’ she emphasises widely extends to include their valued 20 or so employees, which support the efficient running of this welcoming place. What strikes you as you walk through the door is the ‘explosion’ of colour, the vibrant array of sumptuous fruit and leafy vegetables engages the brain, and the aroma of freshly baked bread from Evershot bakery teases the senses. Washingpool’s Devon Ruby Red Beef is grass fed on this 80-acre working farm and Bryony speaks passionately about the care and compassion that goes into rearing their animals. This is evident in the quality and flavour of this beef, from an ethical point of view, this is hugely important to me. It may not be cheapest, but it is quality.

Simple Tuscan Sausage Casserole Cook six sausages in a deep-frying pan, (I can recommend Washingpool’s pork sausages) when cooked and golden brown, add some onions, garlic, diced carrots, yellow cherry tomatoes, tin of cannellini beans and 500ml of stock. Simmer for 10 minutes then add some finely chopped greens or Cavolo Nero. Serve with chunks of warm crusty bread.

COLOURFUL; Washingpool Farm and, inset, below, Tuscan Sausage Sasserole All a matter of taste with colour

Mum’s Kitchen...

with Diana Holman

Apple and Ginger Teabread Ingredients 4 Granny Smith apples (or similar crisp tart apples) 15ml/1 tablespoon lemon juice 125g/4oz butter 75g/3oz light muscovado sugar 200g/7oz golden syrup 300g/10oz self-raising flour 2.5ml/1/2 teaspoon baking powder 2.4ml/1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon 2.5ml/1/2 teaspoon ground cloves 1 large egg 75g/3oz preserved stem ginger in syrup, drained and finely chopped 45ml/3 tablespoons golden syrup, warmed to spoon over the top (optional) Method Preheat oven to 170C/150C fan oven Grease and line a 1.2 litre/2pt loaf tin. Peel, core and thinly slice the apples. Immerse them in a bowl of cold water to which the lemon juice has been added. Put butter, sugar and syrup in a saucepan and warm on a low heat until melted. Cool slightly.

Lizzie Crow – AKA Lizzie Baking Bird – is a self taught baker, who has a stall outside her home in Upwey each Saturday. See her scrumptious eats at lizziebakingbird.co.uk or find lizzibakingbird on Instagram.

Home-made bread is a cheesy feat

Soda bread

If you fancy making bread but really don’t want the faff of a yeasted loaf, this one is for you. Frequently attributed to the Irish, although some Americans claim they thought of it first, it’s traditionally cooked in a skillet. I use the gorgeous tasty cheddar cheese from www. openair dairy.co. uk and I love www. cerneabbas brewery. com beer – though you could use Guinness if you want the full Irish experience. I always weigh my liquids as it is more reliable than measuring volume in a jug. This easy un-yeasted bread doesn’t keep for longer than a couple of days but you can make it in super quick time – fling it in the oven and it’ll be out by the time you’ve said ‘Hello – can I take your coat?’ Ingredients 170g tasty cheddar cheese, grated 280g beer 500g strong white flour 1 teaspoon of bicarbonate of soda 1 teaspoon salt 200g buttermilk

Method First make the topping by mixing 75g of the cheese with 50g of the beer and leave on the side until you need it. Switch the oven on at Gas 6/200C. Mix the flour, bicarbonate of soda, salt and remaining cheese in a bowl so that all the ingredients are combined. Add the buttermilk and remaining beer and mix quickly. You may need to add little more liquid as the flour varies in how much it absorbs (and if you use wholemeal you definitely will need more). Pour the contents of the bowl on to a work surface and shape it into a round loaf approximately 5cms deep and 20cms in diameter. Put the loaf on to a baking tray lined with parchment. Cut a deep cross into the top (this is to let the fairies out although it also makes sure that the bread cooks all the way through). Spread on the beer and cheese mix. Put it straight in the oven and cook for 30-35 minutes. It’s done when the base sounds hollow when tapped. Take it out of the oven and allow it to cool for around 30 minutes. Serve in slices and slather with butter.

n Lizzie can be found at the Old Ship Inn, Upwey every Saturday morning, selling her wares. Check out what she is up to on lizziebakingbird.co.uk and Instagram lizzibakingbird

Sift flour, baking powder and spices into a bowl. Add the syrup mixture and the egg and stir until well combined. Thoroughly drain the apple slices and dry on kitchen paper. Add three quarters of them and all but 15ml/1 tablespoon of the chopped ginger to the cake mixture to the cake mixture and stir until evenly combined. Turn into the prepared loaf tin and scatter over the reserved apple slices and ginger. Bake for 1-1 and a quarter hours until firm and a skewer comes out clean. Leave in the tin for 15 minutes and then spoon over the syrup if using. Allow to cool completely before slicing.